Madcap Manor

 Hi, guys! My Church has recently introduced a system whereby, instead of sending individual cards to each other, we all sign one BIG card to wish us Compliments of the Season! This year I was asked to make the card - it is A4 and I used some old backing card and images from  Hunkydory Crafts . I layered the patterned card background onto gold mirri card and the images are popped up on foam tape.  (Sorry about the glare from the gold background!) In the right bottom corner is a sentiment die-cut from the same set, wishing Festive greetings. The card base is a piece of thin A3 card folded in half to make an A4 base, I added a white card layer on the inside to balance the cardstock glued to the front, otherwise it had a tendency to fall over! It took quite a while to measure where the images should go so that they were even! I'm glad to say that everyone seems to like it - Hunkydory items are always so gorgeous, it's easy to make fabulous cards from their kits! Thanks for looking

 Hi, guys! I have been spending many weeks (many, many weeks!) making Christmas cards.  The latest batch uses the December 2023  Sheetload of Cards  by Alicia of Call Me Crafty Al.  I have made 50 cards for all the mums/Nans/childminders who come to the Toddler Club that I help to run at my church. Here are 8 of the cards I made to show how great this is for using up paper pads.  I finished off a Christmas pad that I'd had for 2 years! And the next 4. All the images and the sentiment are by MFT, the Santas are from the  Jingle All the Way  stamp set and the Elves are from the  Santa's Elves  stamp set.  I love 'em! I coloured them with Promarkers and fussy-cut them.  These cards make me smile! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hi there! I have been busy preparing a class on making Christmas cards for our branch of the Mothers' Union at the end of the month.  I have been cutting reams of paper and mirror card ready to be assembled by the ladies.  I'll take some photos on the day - with permission of course! I am stupidly nervous, even though everyone there has been a friend for many years!! I am currently sorting everything and wondering what I've forgotten.  There's bound to be something! Anyway, this isn't one of the card designs for the class, it's inspired by  Chrissie Stokes  who makes beautiful CAS cards.   Here  is her blog post and this is my CASEd version. I used Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes dies, with two of each layered together for dimension, on a linen-effect panel cut with a wonky stitched die.  The sentiment is an older die by  Love from Lizi .  The gems are from my stash. I have had a lot of dental work this year to straighten my teeth and I made 10 cards like this fo

 Hello there! This is a very late post, but I've just been messaged by my son-in-law that he's received his birthday card, so at last I can post it! Since Brexit it has taken so much longer to send cards from the UK to friends in the EU, and I'm not organised enough to make allowances for the extra time.  Ooops! For the background I die-cut an old background die from Simon Says Stamp for a dimensional white-on-white effect.  The bear is from the  Heart Hugs  die set by Honeybee stamps.  His little paws are cut out so that he can hold balloon strings or a heart! It's such a cute set, it includes a fox and a hedgehog! The balloons and strings are from the same set - I covered the balloons in glossy accents.  The sentiment is an old stamp from the much-missed Paper Smooches. My son in law loved this simple card, I think it's very masculine. Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

Good morning! Happy August! I have been experimenting with stamped backgrounds, trying out various colour combinations of Altenew dye inks.  I'm not very good at lining up layering stamps, but this came out ok, I think!  The image and sentiment came from an old Gina K kit which I have tidied away..... somewhere.....  I added Orange Marmalade crystal Nuvo Drops to the centres of the flowers, and Love from Lizi peel-offs along the sentiment strip. I hope you're all having a good week! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hiya! During this very wet July I have been spending time in the craft hovel with the gorgeous July kit by  Love from Lizi.   I used images from the stamp set to make backgrounds in blue and pink. The card base, tag, twine and peel-offs all came in the kit.  I added Nuvo glitter dots in the centres of the yellow flowers. Here is the pink background.  The jar and label are two of the ephemera, and the blooms are made with the accompanying die set.  Again I added Nuvo glitter drops to the centres of the flowers. On grey, drizzly days there is nothing quite like crafting! I hope you're all keeping well! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Do you guys know about the lovely  Alicia's monthly 'Sheetload of Cards' sketches? She gives instructions on how to cut patterned papers to make cards with her sketch.  I took 2 very old 12 x 12" papers and made a dozen cards with the  May 23  Sheetload. I might add a sentiment to the 'celebrate' cards. The images are stamps from old card kits by  Love from Lizi , the sentiments were from  Lili of the Valley I am on the neverending quest to use up my papers! Two down, 28659346 to go!!! Thanks for looking and take care! love, Mags B x

Hi there! Well, it's been a busy fortnight: appointments at the local hospital and specialised eye unit (I have a tear in one retina) which involved lots of staring into bright lights, trying not to blink.   Then there was the annual blood-pressure check-up, which meant blood tests and a wee test, followed by a phone appointment with my lovely GP.  I have to eat lots of bananas to improve my potassium levels - so much nicer than taking tablests! Finally there was a loooong dental appointment to fit teeth straighteners.  It's been quite a medical journey! All is now calm, and I've been making cards again.  I used papers from the April 23 card kid by  Love from Lizi .  So pretty. I like sending 'hello' cards to cheer my friends up!  It's such a simple sentiment but says a lot. I hope you're all keeping well! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hiya! This is the card I made for my daughter's birthday, using items from the  Love from Lizi  March 2023 kit, 'Spring Friends.'  It does seem to be still available on her website if you'd like a more detailed look. The instructions for a US A2 Bridge Card came from  this video by Jennifer McGuire.   I used pearlised white card for the bas and the papers and ephemera are from the 'Spring Friends' kit.  The little hedgie is adorable! I also added dots of glitter Nuvo Drops to the centres of all the flowers. I hope you're all keeping well! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 I took a break at the end of February, thinking it would only be for a month - and now it's the beginning of June.  I apologise for being missing in action.  I have had a lot of dental work done to straighten my wonky teeth, and my mojo decided to take a holiday; but now she's returned, suntanned and glamorous, and I'm getting back into crafting. Here is a card I was commissioned to make for a dear friend's 70th birthday: the Commission was 'blue and not too fussy.'   The white die-cuts are from Christina Griffiths'  Fancy Frames Collection  and the sentiment is cut in silver card with a vellum shadow.  My friend loved it, and her partner, who commissioned it, sent a donation to a cancer charity.  Having had cancer myself, I appreciate that! I hope you are all keeping well! Thanks for looking and take care! love, Mags B x

 Oh, how embarrassing! I thought I had scheduled this post, but.... no, I forgot to click the 'publish' button! D'oh! This is my last DT post, as I'm taking a break. Anyway, here is our latest challenge at  My Time to Craft!  and the theme is Rainbows.   We'd like to see 5 or more colours: as the song my kids learned at school says: 'Red and Yellow and Orange and Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet, too.  These are the colours that you will see if a rainbow shows itself to you!' My first card is based on  this video  for a Diamond Stair Stepper card by Iced Images on Youtube.  I replaced the diamonds she used with die-cut hearts. The papers are all from a 'Rainbow' pad by Papermania which is very old! The patterns use all the colours of the rainbow, so I think I covered this Challenge's requirements! I used a butterfly die with yellow paper from the pad, inlaid with orange and backed with card to give it more stability.  The gems are from my stash.  I

Here is a picture of my new granddaughter Fiadh, who was born last Friday, and her brother Oscar, who is 6.  Ye Olde Manne and I will be visiting at the beginning of March and I can't wait!!  Sadly, this is my last post for  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge .  I am sorry to leave, it has been great to get all my Christmas cards sorted before December! I want to thank Marlene and the lovely Design Team and everyone who enters the challenge for their inspiration. My card is based on  this video  by Iced Images for a Gatefold Star Card.  The papers are from a very old paper pad by Cosmo Cricket called 'Mitten Weather.'  The two glittered chipboard snowflakes came from the same collection.  The sentiments and gems are from my stash. Check out my teamies' lovely creations! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

Good morning! I have some sad news and some happy news.  I am stepping down from all my Design Teams, including Dream Valley .  It was my very first DT, back in 2011 and I still get a kick out of talking about my 'teamies!' I want to thank them all for their kindness and creativity. Consequently there is a DT Call  - details are on the blog.  Anyone can apply, whatever level of crafting experience you have.  The DT members are lovely, they are always ready to help a 'newbie'! Now for the happy news: I have a new granddaughter! Fiadh (Fee-a) was born last Friday in Ireland and here she is: So tiny! So cute! Now, finally, here is my card for our new challenge, which is to Use your favourite colours.   Our sponsor is  Colour of Love  and I used the cute 'Sugi Summer Fashion' digi. The card base is a pop-out gatefold card from  This video  by Sam Calcott of Mixed-up crafts.  It looks complicated, but it's actually quite simple to make.   The papers are from my s

 Good morning! I hope you're all keeping well.  I am very excited to tell you that my daughter Sacha is in hospital because her baby is on the way! So this weekend Ye Olde Manne and I will be welcoming a new granddaughter.  Her name is Fiadh (pronounced 'Fee-a') and her big brother Oscar is so excited! Now on to our new Challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  which is sadly going to be my last.  I am taking a break from all my DTs.  Our new theme is Snowflakes. My first card has a stencilled background. The stencil has lost its packaging, and I don't know who made it.  I used blue mirror card for the mat and the sentiment, which is from and old MFT die.  I added White Blizzard Glitter Drops by Nuvo to the middles of the snowflakes and the dots as well. Card number 2 is made with the beautiful ISSA layering Snowflake dies by  Birch Press Designs  which seems to be out of print. I used 3 shades of blue cardstock for the layers and silver mirror card for the central snow

 Good morning! We have a new Challenge for you at  My Time to Craft!  where the theme is Vintage or Shabby Chic.   This is always a challenge for me, as both are outside my comfort zone! I made a Shabby Chic tag: I used an image and sentiment from an old magazine gift of papers and toppers based on the Flower Fairies by Cicely Barker.  I tore strips of patterned paper for the background, distressed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and added a strip of lace to the right side.  I used some of the paper in the kit to die-cut three butterflies, and pearls from my stash along their bodies.  Then I used a couple of pink ribbons for the tie, I also made a Vintage-y card. The papers, birds and sentiment are from Stamperia's 'Patchwork' collection (sadly this seems to be out of print.).  I cut and tore out the pieces that I wanted and inked the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.  I added a button and 3 resin flowers from my stash. I enjoyed the challenge of working i a

Good afternoon from sunny Hertfordshire! Well, it's sunny now that the freezing fog has lifted.  Brr! It's so wintry these days - but we can all cheer up by making cheerful Christmas cards! Yes, it's time for a new Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge.   We also have a DT Call  so if you've ever wondered about joining a Challenge Design Team, check out the blog.  All welcome, no matter your level of experience! I was tidying my Craft Hovel and came across an old set of papers and die-cuts by  Hunkydory Crafts  which came with a magazine a long time ago. I can't remember what this fold is called!  Here is the inside: Everything is from the kit, which includes some very pretty foiling.  The inside sentiment is 'To the Lovebirds at Christmas' and I know just who I'll be sending it to in 11 months' time! Check out the blog for more inspiration and for details of the DT Call. Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Good morning! We are having a Design Team call at  Dream Valley ! If you're interested, check out the blog post.  We welcome crafters at all levels of experience - this was my very first DT, 12 years ago, when I was a very new crafter, and I learned so much from my lovely teamies over the years. Now for our new challenge - Add Some Bling.   Our sponsor is the wonderful  All Dressed Up Stamps  and Wendy kindly gave us two of her fabulous images to use.  I went with  Dreaming of Summer  - so pretty! I used papers from an elderly First Edition pad, and some pearlised purple cardstock from my stash.  I added two shiny  Lilac Mirror  peel-offs by Love from Lizi.  I covered the butterflies on the image with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen (which doesn't really show in the photo unless you squint!) and finally some purple gems from my stash.  The die-cut hello is an old die from  Clearly Besotted. Check out the creations of my lovely teamies on the Challenge blog, and details of the DT Cal

 Good morning! For the latest challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  we would like to see traditional colours of red, gold and green. (Are you now humming 'Karma Chameleon' by Culture Club? I am!) My first card uses items from  an old  Hunkydory  magazine. I raised the middle of the circular die-cut on foam to give some dimension.  I added a square gold mat, but everything else on the card came from the magazine kit. My second card is actually a 4 x 4 inch tag!  I used an old wreath die from MFT to cut 2 colours of green cardstock which I layered together.  The bow (from the same set) is cut in red glitter card, and I added Xmas Red Stickles for the glittery berries.  The gold mat is cut with another old MFT die, and the ribbon is from my stash. Check out the challenge blog for more inspiration! Thanks for looking and take care! Culture Club: (don't they look young?) Listen out for the 'red, gold and green' line! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw love M

 Hi there! Welcome to the 500th Challenge at  My Time to Craft!  Our theme is Numbers  - we'd like to see numbers on your background, focal point, sentiment, ephemera, whatever strikes your fancy. My first card uses an old Tim Holtz 'Bingo card' embossing folder and the  Faux Letterpress  technique.  Since 'Bingo!' is also an expression meaning 'You got it right!' I made a Congratulations card. For my second card I used individual number stamps and dye inks to make a colourful background.  It needed a bit more pizazz, so I added blue mirror card behind the sentiment. Check out the Challenge blog for more inspiration! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Edited to add: oops, I made a mistake when scheduling this post, apologies that it's late! Good morning, my lovelies! It's January 24th, and it's only 11 months until CHRISTMAS EVE! I mentioned this to my hubby and he groaned and covered his face with his hands..... Anyway, this means there is plenty of time to get your Christmas Thing going, and at  The Holly and Ivy  we are here to help.  Yes, we have a new challenge for your entertainment! I only realised when I posted that this is the same layout for my card yesterday at Dream Valley! The cute image and the papers are by Doodlebug from their 'Let It Snow' Collection.  I added a red cardstock mat and some white Love from Lizi peel-offs. I also dotted stickles on the snowflake centres and the pom-pom on the penguin's hat. Check out my teamies' fun inspiration and join in the challenge! It's never too soon to start making Christmas creations! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hi there! We have a new challenge at  Dream Valley  to brighten your Monday! We would like to see Square cards.  Our sponsor is the fabulous  Polkadoodles  an I used  Winnie Sunshine Little Friends  which was one of the digis kindly given to the Design Team to work with. Ain't she sweet? I used some very old papers from my stash, plus some matte silver-grey cardstock for the mats.  The image and lacy mat were cut with old Spellbinders Labels One dies, and the sentiment is an old die by Love from Lizi.  I also used  peel-offs  by Love from Lizi to edge the horizontal strip. Check out the challenge blog to see inspiration using more Polkadoodles images! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Good morning, all! There's a new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  which is to use patterned paper.  I used some old digi papers from Nitwit Collections'  Mooey Christmas .  I made 2 cards, following a  template  by Jess of Jess Crafts. The template easily makes 2 cards from a sheet of 6 x 8 paper, but I used 2 sheets and swapped the elements around. The Christmas tree dies are called  Woodlands  and are by Tim Holtz for Sizzix.  I cut them in pearlescent green card, glued them onto white paper and trimmed around the edges.  The sentiment is one of the  Winter Scripty Sentiments  by Lawn Fawn. If you're like me you'll have a lot of patterned paper in your stash, so this is a very useful challenge to encourage you to use some up! Check out the blog to see more inspiration - and remember, you can enter up to THREE times, so you can use even more papers! (It makes space to buy some more, of course!!) Anyway, thanks for looking and take care. love Mags B x

 Hi there! It's never too soon to start thinking about next Christmas! So we have our first Challenge of 2023 at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  to inspire you! Remember, it doesn't have to be a card! I have used papers and ephemera from last November's kit by  Love from Lizi  for a card. I used a no-scraps template by  Jess Crafts  for the patterned paper, and some pearlised pink cardstock for the background.  The sentiment is one of the  Simple sentiment strips - Christmas  by Taylored Expressions. If you're not 'all Christmassed out,' take a look at the Challenge blog and join in - you'll be glad you did when November rolls around and you have a good stack of Christmas cards, tags etc all ready to go! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Happy New Year! Our new challenge at  Dream Valley  is all about new beginnings: a new house, new job, new retirement, new baby,,,, anything new! My daughter is expecting a baby girl in March, so it was easy to come up with a 'new' subject for this card! This digi image is an old one from  Pink Gem Designs  and is out of print, but there are so many adorable images still on their website. I coloured the baby with Promarkers, for a change, and added sparkle pen to the bubbles, although it doesn't really show.  The paper is from the snippets drawer, and the sentiment is an old one from Mama Elephant. Check out the Challenge blog for more inspiration! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 This is tough for me, because there are so many techniques I enjoy! It's a bit like being asked 'What's your favourite book?' To which my answer is always 'The one that I'm currently reading.' Anyway, I love using patterned papers on my cards, but rather than use a sketch I decided on paper piecing for a change.  I used an old  Woodware  stamp by the brilliant Francoise Read, it's called 'Large Patch Tree' and unfortunately is out of print.  But check out the other stamps she has designed, so many are great for paper piecing. One of the good things about paper piecing is that it's so easy to make 2 cards at once. I used 2 green patterned papers, a scrap of red tartan paper, and some red card.  I stamped the tree on all the papers and fussy-cut them out.  Then I went around the cut edges with a black marker to hide any imperfections in my cutting!  I stamped the image again on 2 4 x 6 inch pieces of white card and assembled the trees like a q